


Fire In Our Souls

by ephemeralstark



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Parker Lives, Bisexual Tony Stark, Blood and Injury, Divorced May & Ben, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, LGBTQ Themes, Multi, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Protective Ben Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Spider-Man: Homecoming Spoilers, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26622070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstark/pseuds/ephemeralstark
Summary: When Peter Parker finds his childhood hero and renowned billionaire Tony Stark sitting in his living room chatting to his Uncle Ben one afternoon following school, the last thing he expected was for his life to be turned upside down as he's kitted out with a brand new Spider-Man suit and someone starts selling alien weapons on his doorstep.Somehow those things are less strange than Mr. Stark's willingness to visit all the time and the way his eyes seem to linger on his uncle.
Relationships: Ben Parker/Tony Stark, Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), Peter Parker & Tony Stark, past May Parker/Ben Parker
Comments: 36
Kudos: 113





	1. Tony meets Ben

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an absolutely brand new ship for me but if you like it, the lovely [angxlsgrxce ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angxlsgrxce/pseuds/angxlsgrxce) has also written some fics!

“I mean if we consider Dr. Banner’s research, it changes the potential outcomes and we have to account for the increase in radiation,” Peter said as he threw a Skittle into the air and accurately caught it in his mouth, “meaning we’ll need to be able to contain that safely.” 

“There’s no way the school is gonna give us the funds for that,” Ned muttered dejectedly, “I mean did you see their faces when we said we were going to use Dr. Banner and Fermi’s work to try and further the world of physics.” 

“It would revolutionise science,” Peter grumbled, “I still prefer chemistry though.” 

“Just don't say that in your Noble Prize acceptance speech,” Ned said with a snort, before burying his hand in Peter’s bag of skittles and somehow stealing all of the red ones like the terrible friend he was. 

“We aren’t going to win a-” Peter broke off as he noticed a sleek, red car parking in Ben’s spot. 

“Uh, did Ben win the lottery or something?” Ned asked, stretching a hand out as though he could run his hand along the car despite being too far away to as much as breathe on it. 

“He doesn't play the lottery, it’s a waste of money,” Peter murmured, unable to remove his eyes from the car or it's shiny gold rims, despite his disinterest in expensive cars. 

“So someone stole his spot?” Ned asked, “should we fight them?” 

“If Ben could drive, maybe it would be worth it, but I’m not in the mood to fight a rich douchebag right now,” Peter said with a shrug, as he handed the almost empty bag of skittles to his best friend to finish off, “text me when you're ready to sort out the assignment for Friday, I want to make sure we get a perfect grade.” 

“Dude, of course we will,” Ned said, “and let me know who owns that car whenever you find out.” 

“I doubt it’s anyone in our apartment but sure,” Peter said with a snort as he took in the peeling paint on the outside and the cracking window panes on every level, no one in their block could afford a car like that, if they could - they would move house. 

With a small wave goodbye, he left Ned to finish his walk home and entered the apartment block he lived in with Ben every other week, the elevator still proudly displayed the ‘BROKEN’ sign that had been there since Peter was thirteen and had to help carry boxes and furniture up to the twelfth floor - pausing occasionally to puff on his inhaler. 

He ran up the concrete steps two at a time, thanking his Spider-Man abilities for taking away the potential of him tripping and smacking his chin off one of the edges, which was something that happened on a monthly occasion beforehand - he had the very faint white scars on his chin to prove it. Although they had long since healed and he was only able to pick up on them thanks to his newly enhanced vision. 

“Hey, Ben, it’s just me,” he called as he wiggled the key in the lock and opened the door - one day that trick wouldn't work and it would just jam, “Ned says ‘hi’ and to tell you that he needs to steal me later on to discuss our assignment-” Peter opened the fridge and peeled a few slices of ham out of the packet, stuffing them in his mouth, “oh and there’s this weird car outside, very flashy, they stole your… spot.” 

Peter swallowed the ham that he had shoved in his mouth, choking slightly as he tried to work out whether his eyes were deceiving him. 

“Mr. Parker,” Tony Stark said, smiling at him with the same polite smile Peter had seen a million times on the TV, his eyes hidden behind a pair of green lenses, “sorry to drop in and surprise you like this.” 

“Mr. Stark?” 

“Peter,” Ben said with a wide grin, that made the bags under his eyes and the stress lines fade away in lieu of his excitement, “you didn't tell me you were applying for an internship with Stark Industries.” 

“Didn’t he?” Mr. Stark asked with a laugh that almost seemed to say, ‘kids, am I right?’ 

“No, but you know how it is, teenagers, they never tell you anything,” Ben said with a laugh that made Peter’s eyes narrow in suspicion, that wasn't his normal laugh, there was something going on. 

“I feel like there’s been a mistake,” Peter said slowly, still frozen in the doorway as he carefully looked between the two men, “I didn't-” 

“He’s modest too,” Mr. Stark said with a laugh, “don’t put yourself down, Kid, your application was the best I read, it put undergrads and postgrads to shame. I don’t even read the applications, but Pepper was sure that I would want to read yours, and I have to admit - I put that woman in charge of my business for a reason, there’s not much she’s wrong about.” 

Confusion swirled in Peter’s stomach as he started to think back and try to remember when he could have applied for an internship, that wasn't something that he would forget, he was sure of it. Even so, despite that surety, he was beginning to doubt himself. 

“Well, shall we?” Mr. Stark asked, looking at Peter expectantly. 

“Shall we what?” Peter asked, feeling stupid for needing the man to elaborate. 

“I want to see this computer you built from scratch,” Mr. Stark said, “it sounded impressive on the application, and I just knew I would need to see it in person. Did you really manage to create a brand new AI within it?” 

“I… yeah, I did,” Peter said quietly, wondering  _ how _ Mr. Stark could ever know such a thing when Peter was  _ almost  _ positive he hadn't applied.

“Come on, Pete,” Ben said with a wide grin, obviously not picking up of the undercurrent of tension that was running through his nephew, “don’t be rude, show Mr. Stark your computer.” 

“Just Tony, please,” Mr. Stark said with a lingering glance towards his Uncle that made Peter’s brows draw together.

“Alright,” Peter said slowly, “this way, I guess.” 

He tried his best to relax his shoulders and ignore the tingling warning in the back of his neck that was trying to tell him he was being followed - of course his Spidey-Sense would pick up on this threat; he hadn't applied for anything, Mr. Stark knew more than he should have, and the man was  _ Iron Man _ , he was powerful and potentially dangerous. 

Peter gently closed his bedroom door behind them, if Mr. Stark was going to try and kill him then he could at least spare his Uncle as much as possible. Surprisingly, Mr. Stark merely hummed under his breath and looked around the room - maybe taking in the damp patch on the ceiling or the threadbare carpet that had been there before Peter had moved in, or perhaps even the mold on the window pane that Peter kept trying to clear but the humidity just didn't agree with the building. Or maybe he was taking in the various science medals and trophies, or the framed pictures of the Avengers and scientists Peter admired. 

Peter waited for him to speak, and when he finally did, it wasn't at all what he would have predicted. 

Mr. Stark held up his phone, which projected a 3D image into the air above it, “that’s you, isn’t it?” 

He watched as the image showed Spider-Man swinging through the air towards a wildly out of control bus before using his strength to ease it to a stop, much to the relief of the passengers. Spider-Man didn't linger to bask in the praise and glory, instead, he shot a web and swung off, freezing in place as Mr. Stark paused the video. 

“Me?” Peter asked, forcing himself to laugh as though Mr. Stark had told a funny joke, “you’ve got to be kidding, right?” 

“Nope,” Mr. Stark said, deadly serious, “that’s you.” 

It wasn't a question. 

“That’s uh, no, tha- that’s not,” Peter stammered as he tried his best to defend his identity, “that’s not me.” 

“But it is.” 

“Where did you get that?” Peter asked, “th- was it on YouTube? You know that’s all, uh, CGI, right?” 

“Nice try, but I checked for that,” Mr. Stark said with a smirk, “I also checked where it was uploaded from and it turns out it was that very computer that was on your application.” 

“I didn't apply for anything,” Peter said, “there’s a mistake here, I didn't apply for any internship and I’m not Spider-Man.” 

“Really?” Mr. Stark asked, “well, what about this.” 

With a careful tug on the rope that Peter had constructed to reveal his suit when he needed it, Mr. Stark revealed the makeshift Spider-Man suit to them both. Despite knowing that it was pointless and the truth was revealed, Peter snatched it from the air and hid it behind his back. 

“What do you want?” He asked, hating the defeated tone in his voice. 

“What gets you out of that twin bed in the morning?” Mr. Stark asked, sounding genuinely interested, “is it money? Fame? Popularity?” 

“Aren’t they the same thing?” Peter wondered. 

“Not in the slightest.” 

“Well,” Peter paused and sighed before sitting on the edge of his bed, the springs protested loudly as he did so, “it goes back to something my Uncle said to me once, which was ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ and you know? I have these powers and if I didn't use them to help people, wouldn't that mean they were being hurt because of me? I may not be out there saving the world on the level you are, but some nights I save one person’s world and that makes a difference.” 

Mr. Stark pursed his lips and nodded once, before beginning to tap away on his phone again, “so you’re looking out for the little guy?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I suppose you could say that,” Peter mumbled, hoping that the thin walls were just thick enough so that Ben couldn't hear the conversation that was going on. 

“Have you ever been to Germany, Mr. Parker?” Mr. Stark asked suddenly, changing the tangent so quickly that Peter wondered if it were possible to get whiplash from a conversation. 

“Germany?” Peter repeated, “uh, no, I don't even have a passport.” 

“Alright, we can sort that,” Mr. Stark said, before proceeding to type a few more things. 

“Mr. Stark,” Peter said seriously, apparently serious enough to catch the billionaire’s attention as Mr. Stark stopped typing and looked up, meeting Peter’s eyes through the tinted shades, “I can’t go to Germany.” 

“Why not?” Mr. Stark asked, as though he couldn't imagine any situation in the world where someone wouldn't be able to drop everything to travel.

“I have… homework,” Peter tried. 

Mr. Stark let out a derisive snort, “I wonder what your uncle would say about your nightly activities?” 

His hand came to rest on the doorknob and Peter panicked. Acting quickly he slid his web-shooter on and fired towards Mr. Stark’s hand before he could even turn the knob. 

“Don’t say anything,” Peter said. 

“Alright, Spider-Man.” 

“Look,” Peter said, hanging his head slightly, “I don’t know why you need Spider-Man in Germany, and I can tell you’re not going to tell me, but is it life-threatening?” 

“You won’t die, not on my watch kid,” Mr. Stark promised him.

“Alright,” Peter said, taking a deep breath, “in that case, I’ll come, but you gotta convince my Aunt too.” 

“Your Aunt?” Mr. Stark asked.

“Yeah, I stay with her every other week, so if this trip lands on one of her weeks then she needs to be alright with it,” Peter explained.

“So, she’s not with your Uncle any more?” Mr. STark asked, sounding interested. 

“No…” Peter said slowly, “if she was, I wouldn't change my home address each week.” 

“Alright, let’s go tell Ben that you’ve accepted the internship and we can say you’re going on a training program,” Mr. Stark said, a small smile playing on his lips as he said Ben’s name, Peter couldn't help but notice it, maybe realising that Peter was suspicious, the older man cleared his throat and looked at his hand, “get this stuff off.” 

“Oh, right, yeah,” Peter stammered, jumping up and rifling through his drawers in search of the dissolving agent, “sorry, Sir.” 

Ben was thrilled, as Peter could have predicted, he swept his nephew up into a tight hug and whispered how proud he was in his ear - Peter tried his best to ignore the shame that swirled in his stomach at the reminder that he was lying to one of the people who had raised him and made him who he was. 

“I’ll see you out, Tony,” Ben said with a gentle smile, “thank you for this opportunity you’re giving Peter, it’s going to change his life.” 

“He’s a clever young man,” Mr. Stark said as they walked away, Peter’s hearing picking up on the conversation. 

“He is, he’s a credit to us,” Ben said, and Peter bit back the bitterness that seemed to burn his veins, he wasn't a credit to anyone - he was a liar. 

“Us?” Mr. Stark asked. 

“Oh, uh, me and my ex-wife,” Ben said. 

Peter frowned, Mr. Stark already knew about May, why was he bringing it up again? What benefit could come from the conversation? 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Mr. Stark said. 

“Don’t be,” Ben said and Peter could hear the smile in his voice, “we wanted different things in life, neither of us regrets our time together as we both grew to know Peter thanks to it, but the past is the past.” 

“Indeed,” Mr. Stark commented, “I’ll be in touch… Ben… I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the future.” 


	2. Peter goes on a plane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much ben/tony interaction in this one! It's mostly just setting some background and developing the story a little

Peter bounced on the tips of his toes with nervous excitement as his Aunt May rounded off the call she was on with a smile the other person wouldn't be able to see and a calm, “alright, thank you, he’ll be ready.” 

“Who was it?” Peter asked as soon as the end call button had been pressed and the small beep indicating that the other person had left the conversation. He was only asking to be polite, in reality, he’d heard every single word that had been spoken.

“Judging by that look on your face you have your suspicions,” May said with a laugh as she reached out and ruffled his hair, “but, fine, I’ll cave since it’s you. It was Pepper Potts, who I was  _ not  _ expecting to ever talk to, so that was interesting.” 

“Did she mention the training?” Peter asked, prompting her to continue talking before she got swept up in the fact that she’s had a conversation with  _ The  _ Pepper Potts. 

“Yeah, that’s why she called,” May said, “apparently they’ve moved the dates around and they need you to leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Peter asked, faking a wide-eyed expression of shock, but not needing to fabricate the worry that came with it because there was no guarantee she would let him go, “but that cuts into your week, are you alright with this?” 

“Kiddo, I’m gonna have you every other week until you get your own place and decide you're too cool to hang around with your poor old Aunt,” May said with a laugh, “I’m pretty sure I can spare you for a few days.” 

“Really?” Peter asked with hope curling the corners of his mouth, “ but what about school?” 

“Will you do your course work while you’re away?” May checked. 

“Absolutely,” Peter promised. 

“Well then I don't see an issue,” May said, before grinning at him and opening her arms wide, “now, come on then, I know you’re desperate to celebrate.”

He returned her gesture and launched himself into her arms, breathing in the familiar scent of her coconut conditioner that had soothed him on many a sleepless night not long after she and Ben had split up. 

“I’m so proud of you, Sweetie, and I know your Uncle is too, speaking of who, how-” May paused and Peter felt her breath ruffle his hair as she sighed, he could predict the question that was coming, “how’s Ben doing?” 

“He’s good,” Peter said, pleased that for once he wasn't lying, “we went down to Coney Island last week and rode The Cyclone, he barfed his ice cream all down his shirt and the camera caught it.” 

“You know he gets motion sick at the best of times, why would you take him on the rollercoaster?” May asked with a snort. 

“It was his idea,” Peter said with a shrug as he pulled himself out of her grip, “I wasn't going to be the voice of reason.” 

“ _ He _ wanted to do it?” May asked with an arched eyebrow. 

“Uh huh,” Peter mumbled, “I think it was to do with Mr. Stark saying that he once took The Avengers there on a day out and Thor threatened to destroy The Cyclone after it made him feel sick, he recommended we ride it again one last time because Thor might exact his revenge at any random time.” 

“He did it because Tony Stark suggested it was a good idea?” 

There was something unusual in his Aunt’s voice as she asked that, something that Peter couldn't quite pinpoint but he found it annoying nonetheless - both his Aunt and his Uncle were acting strange now. 

“Yeah,” Peter said slowly, “they’ve been talking a lot lately, I think they may actually be friends or almost friends. You know, like the phase where you're friendly but not close yet? Like a friend crush or something.” 

“A friend crush is probably a good way of putting it,” May said with a confusing smile, “and it explains why Stark is doing all the communicating with Ben and leaving others to talk with me.” 

“Yeah,” Peter agreed before realising what she had said, “wait… it does?” 

“Why don't you forget I said anything and go pack your case?” May suggested, although judging by her tone it wasn't a suggestion, “if you do it without saying anything else, I’ll even throw in takeout.” 

Peter considered his options and while he wanted to know more about what May was implying, he decided that it wasn't worth eating half burnt, half-frozen meatloaf. So, instead, he nodded quickly and with a quick, “can we make it Thai?” he made his way to his bedroom in search of a suitcase. 

Normally when Peter was excited for something he found the time dragging by in drips and drabs, but it seemed that his nerves were having the opposite effect. Before he knew it, he’d packed his case, finished all homework, had dinner with May and was tucked up in his bed watching bad videos on YouTube until he fell asleep. 

Peter didn't sleep well that night, his dreams were flooded with varying situations, all of which ended badly for him and caused him to awaken with a jolt and a gasp, as though he had been physically shocked. So, naturally, when a grumpy man appeared at the door and said he was there for ‘Parker’, Peter wasn't very awake. 

His hair was a mess and he hadn't actually washed his face so he was forced to rub his eyes frantically to rid them of sleep. He hoped that the man didn't notice his actions but given his usual luck, it was wishful thinking. 

It was just fortunate he had packed his case last night otherwise he was certain he would have had to sweep his room in thirty seconds, grabbing whatever came to hand - and knowing him, he would have ended up forgetting underwear or socks. He couldn't have gone to Mr. Stark and admitted that to him, the man was intimidating enough as it was and he wouldn't be impressed by a pathetic teen who had nightmares and couldn't pack his own case. 

“Uh, who are you?” Peter finally asked about ten minutes into their drive. 

“Did you seriously get into a car with someone you don't know?” the driver asked, frowning at him through the rearview mirror. 

“Uh, well, you didn't exactly introduce yourself,” Peter mumbled, as though that was a suitable defence. 

“All the more reason for you not to just get in the car,” the man said. 

“I mean  _ technically _ I didn't just get in the car,” Peter said quietly, feeling well and truly scolded, “I put my case in the trunk first.” 

The man muttered something under his breath that Peter pretended he couldn't hear, before sighing heavily, “you remind me of Tony.” 

“Uh, thanks?” Peter said unsurely. 

“It wasn't a compliment,” the man said, “Happy Hogan.”

“Happy? Is that a real name?” Peter instantly started questioning, “or a fake one? Did you choose it because of how you are? Because I have to admit it's amusing, kind of… well, it’s as amusing as the name Happy can be.” 

Happy didn't reply, instead he flicked a switch on the dashboard and a partition slowly started to rise between them. 

“Oh, you’re done talking?” Peter asked, the screen didn't slow or pause, “that’s cool, I’ll just entertain myself I suppose.” 

Except, Peter wasn't sure how to entertain himself, after looking around the sleek car he realised that there was nothing exciting about it, it had a plain black interior, sleek black leather seats, all the usual knobs and handles a normal car had and nothing else. It was just a car, it wasn't what he would have expected from Tony Stark but maybe the man just didn't want a super-powered teenager causing trouble in one of his more technologically advanced vehicles. 

Of course that meant that Peter was forced to come to terms with the fact that he would be traveling on a plane. He had asked Ben whether it was possible to sail instead and had received a fond hair ruffle and a barked out laugh as Ben said, ‘you’re cute, don't worry the flight will be over before you know it, now I gotta go, my shift starts soon - there’s leftover pizza in the fridge, alright?’

The flight would be over before he knew it, had his parents thought the same thing before boarding the plane that had then plummeted into the ground unexpectedly?

Just as he was truly getting into the swing of his panic, and allowing his fears to multiply and escalate, Happy stopped the car and Peter realised that they were on the runway. 

“Uh, Happy?” he asked as he jumped out of the car and ran slightly to catch up with the grumpy man who was already at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the… private jet?

“Come on, Parker, you need to keep up,” Happy told him, as though the two seconds it had taken him to jog the few metres had delayed their flight by hours. 

“Why did you guys get me a passport if we’re getting directly on the plane,” Peter asked in confusion, “also what about my case?” 

“Do you ever stop asking questions?” 

“Nope, my Uncle says the day I do is the day he’ll start worrying about me,” Peter said with a grin. 

“You mean he doesn't already?” 

“Was that a joke?” Happy walked off, “wait, Happy, come on! Was that a joke?” 

Happy had selected one of the tables in the middle of the plane, Peter was honestly surprised by the number of seat options that were available, and slightly overwhelmed. So, he did the only thing that felt logical to himself and took a seat opposite Happy. 

“Really?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at Peter. 

“What?” Peter didn't understand what he’d done wrong this time. 

“You’ve never been on a private plane before have you?” Happy asked him, surprisingly not sounding as irate as Peter had grown accustomed to. 

“I’ve never been on any plane,” Peter admitted, trying to resist the urge to dig his nails into his palms in an effort to ground himself. 

“Hm,” Happy looked him up and down, “put your seatbelt on, you’ll be fine.” 

And then he stood up and wandered over to the other side of the plane and sat a few rows down from Peter, shooting him a look that was a warning not to follow. 

From: Peter   
To: Ben   
_ I’m on a private jet, are you sure these things are safe? _

From: Ben   
To: Peter   
_ You’ll be fine Kiddo, just remember to wear your seatbelt and Tony said he’ll see you on the other side.  _

From: Peter    
To: Ben   
_ You’ve spoken to Mr. Stark? When?  _

From: Ben   
To: Peter   
_ We talk every now and then, we both have to keep an eye on you after all.  _

From: Peter   
To: Ben   
_ You both do?  _

From: Ben   
To: Peter   
_ Shouldn't you turn your phone off? I’ve heard that’s important for flights.  _

Alright, Ben could keep his secrets for now, Peter knew when he wasn't going to get far with a certain line of questioning. 

“Parker, turn your phone off,” Happy called over to him as the engines powered up and an automated safety video started playing. 

The moment the plane took off Peter found himself swept up in a memory. 

_ “Hey, Peter,” his Uncle Ben said gently, as Peter walked towards him with a frown on his small face that caused his glasses to slip down his nose, the teacher beside him gently released his hand and gave his shoulder a little push to encourage him to go with his uncle. _

_ “Uncle Ben?” Peter asked, “why am I leaving so early? I don't have a dentist appointment do I?”  _

_ “Uh, no, not today Bud,” Ben said, wringing his hands together, “uh, why don't we head out, I need to have a chat with you.”  _

_ “Oh,” Peter said, his voice small, even then he had known how serious those words had been, “alright then.”  _

_ They walked away from the school in silence, Peter clutching his Uncle’s hand as though it was a lifeline, which it was - not that he had known it at that moment. They made their way to a small park and Ben ordered them both ice cream, the whole time only a few words were muttered. That was until they found an empty bench to sit on.  _

_ “So,” Ben started, before clearing his voice and trying once more, “you’ve been staying with me and your Aunt for the last week.” _

_ “Yeah?” Peter said, confused, “Mom and Dad are away.”  _

_ “How would you feel about staying with us a little longer?” Ben asked him.  _

_ “Would I still get cookies before bed?” Peter asked.  _

_ “Uh, sure,” Ben said, “but I don't think you’re understanding me really, but that’s more because I’m not doing a good job at explaining what I mean.”  _

_ “What do you mean?” the six year old questioned. _

_ “Peter, Kiddo, your parents were on their way home today, on the plane,” Ben said, tears filling his eyes, “but something went wrong.” _

_ “Went wrong?” Peter questioned, how could something go wrong? Weren't planes fairly safe?  _

_ “The plane crashed,” Ben said bluntly, leaving no room for a misunderstanding, “there were no survivors.”  _

_ “Right,” Peter said quietly as he let the information sink in, “right.”  _

_ “Do you understand what I’m trying to say here?” Ben asked.  _

_ “Mom and Dad arent coming home.”  _

_ “I’m sorry, Pete,” Ben said earnestly, wiping at Peter’s cheeks to remove tears that he hadn't even realised had fallen, “is there anything I can do to help you?” _

_ “Promise me you won't leave?”  _

_ “I promise.”  _

_ “Alright,” Peter said with a sniff, “can I- would you hug me?”  _

_ Peter was gently pulled into Ben’s embrace where he truly let his sobs release and he thought about the warm hugs that his mom would give him as she wrapped him up in a soft towel after his bath, and the honey laugh of his father as Peter tugged at the corner of his newspaper in an attempt to see the cartoons.  _

_ He would never have that again, and all because of a plane. Peter had never been on one before and he didn't think he would ever want to, he hated them with all the hatred that a child could muster.  _

That was the first time anyone had ever broken bad news to Peter, and he had since learned that there was no way to do it well. No amount of pandering, or gentleness or bluntness could make the news better and Peter didn't envy his Uncle for the position he was forced to be in that day. 

In fact, thinking back to the past made him determined that this trip wouldn't be a situation where someone would have to break bad news to his Aunt and Uncle - they had been through enough and lost enough because of Peter, he would  _ not  _ allow this to be a situation in which Mr. Stark was knocking on Ben’s door with a sad face and a card with condolences scrawled on it. 

That couldn't happen. 

Ben had been through enough, he deserved a break and Peter would go to the ends of the earth to make sure that his Uncle had a good life. 


	3. An attractive uncle

On the drive home, Peter was escorted by Mr. Stark as well as the grumpy guy who he had expected to see - Happy - which reminded him of when May had muttered something about Mr. Stark wanting to be the one to communicate with Ben all the time and leaving others to let her know what was going on. 

Mr. Stark was talking a lot, in the same way Peter did when he was nervous and trying to make a good impression, but that didn't make any sense, why would Mr. Stark be trying to make a good impression with him? He had no reason to, if anything, Peter was the one who should be stressing out about trying to appear like he was someone worth investing time into. 

But Mr. Stark was confusing and Peter knew this; every interview he had watched featuring the man or even talking about him clearly showed how strangely his mind worked. 

So Peter’s brain decided to focus on what had happened in Germany instead, because that was something he could remember well and he could fanboy over the fact that he’d met so many of his childhood heroes. Granted, they didn't know who he was, and he’d fought them and probably labelled himself an enemy in their eyes, but still, he’d fought The Winter Soldier! He’d been punched by Captain America! If only Ned knew he was Spider-Man, then they could have nerded out about it together. 

“Wait,” Peter said as some of Mr. Stark’s words penetrated his brain and caught his attention, “I can keep the suit?” 

The amazing, high-tech suit that was specially designed for him and made him feel as though he was a real Superhero rather than a pathetic kid who was just attempting to help people but really ended up causing more trouble than necessary? He could keep that?

“Of course you can keep the suit, that’s what I just said,” Mr. Stark said, rolling his eyes. 

“Thank you,” Peter blurted out, “I won’t let you down, Sir.” 

“Don’t call me ‘Sir’, makes me sound like my father,” Tony said.

“Oh, alright, Mr. Stark,” Peter said quickly, “so, when’s the next mission?” 

“The nex-” Mr. Stark trailed off, eyes widening briefly before a mask seemed to appear across his face, shielding his thoughts, “oh, we’ll call you.” 

“You’ll call me?” Peter checked, “do you have my number.” 

“Happy does, he’s your main point of call on all things Spider-Man, so do me a favour and go easy on the guy, alright? He needs to watch his blood pressure, he’s far too familiar with hospitals.” 

“Alright,” Peter said, nodding along instantly, and trying not to get caught up on the fact he had a point of call guy. 

Mr. Stark leaned across him and Peter’s mouth dropped as all of his childhood dreams came true - Mr. Stark, Tony Stark was hugging him! Had he really done that good a job?

“Oh, this isn't a hug, I was just getting the door,” Mr. Stark said, breaking Peter’s heart and making his cheeks flood with embarrassment. 

“Oh, right, I knew that,” Peter mumbled, letting his arm drop from where he had reached up to hug the older man and he promptly exited the car, only briefly pausing for a moment to wonder whether Mr. Stark was going to say something else or if he should just go ahead and shut the door.

The decision was made for him as his idol also climbed out of the car, placing his glasses on instantly - a nice shade of blue today - as he stared up towards what Peter assumed was the window that belonged to Ben’s home. 

“You’re coming up?” Peter asked before he could stop himself. 

“Yes,” Mr. Stark said, raising a brow at Peter as though questioning why Peter would be confused about that, “I need to make sure your Uncle understands how you performed these past few days.” 

“Wait…” Peter said quickly, trailing off, “you mean as an ‘intern’ right? Right, Mr. Stark?” 

“Wow, kid you are nervous,” Mr. Stark commented, “has anyone ever told you that? You’re like a little ball of nervous energy.” 

“You didn't answer though,” Peter said, not answering his question either. 

“Alright, alright, yes I meant as my intern,” Mr. Stark said as they made their way into the building that was Peter’s part time home, “I wouldn't bring you home from a trip away where you were doing me a favour so I could spill your secret to one of your guardians.” 

“Huh,” Peter mumbled, as he started climbing the stairs, “why do you always take lead on the communication with Ben but leave others to talk with May?” 

“Well, that’s a question and a half,” Mr. Stark muttered, “I don’t know, Kid, it’s just easier like that.” 

“Easier?” Peter asked, “if you were doing it for the sake of easiness wouldn't you just get others to do all the communication with Ben and May, not just one of them?” 

“You ask too many questions,” Mr. Stark told him as he powered on ahead up the steps and let himself into the apartment. 

“Hey, Ben!” Peter called, taking pity on his uncle and letting him know that they weren't two criminals breaking in, “I’m home, and Mr. Stark decided to bring me up.”

Mr. Stark narrowed his eyes at Peter as though he was trying to figure out what game he was playing. The thing was, Peter wasn't even sure himself, he was only trying to match Mr. Stark in his own game. The man may be Iron Man but Peter wasn't a pushover. 

“Pete!” Ben said with a wide grin as he made his way over and pulled him into a tight hug, “I missed you kiddo, how was your trip?” 

“Energetic,” Peter said with a grin, “I learned a lot though.” 

“He did really well,” Mr. Stark said, his eyes seemingly only for Ben, “he impressed a lot of my people.”

“It’s kind of you to escort him home,” Ben said, smiling gently, “I assume this isn't something you do for most interns?” 

“Ah,” Mr. Stark said with a gentle laugh, one that Peter had never heard the man make before, “you’ve caught me, it’s not really standard procedure.” 

“Then why?” Ben asked, more curious than concerned. 

“Well, not all of my interns are returning to their attractive, single guardian,” Mr. Stark said, and with a wink -  _ a wink  _ \- towards his Uncle Ben, he turned and let himself out. 

Peter was left, holding a super suit in a case and staring at his flustered Uncle with wide eyes. Did- was Mr. Stark seriously suggesting that he had escorted Peter up the stairs to his home because he found Ben attractive? Was that what all the cryptic smiles and strange comments had meant? 

“Uh, Ben?” Peter asked quietly, “what?” 

“I’m sure he was just being kind,” Ben said with a shrug and a small shake of his head, “I’ve heard rumours that he is a very generous man.”

“Generous is one thing, but intentionally flirting is an entirely different thing,” Peter said, “maybe he  _ likes you,  _ likes you.” 

“I think you must have stayed up a little too late while you were away,” Ben suggested, “this is why we have bedtimes, I mean that or you’re jetlagged.” 

“I’m not jetlagged,” Peter argued, “and I kept my bedtime, kinda,I’m completely fine, you’re just evading the questions.” 

“Uh huh,” Ben muttered, “go shower, you smell like an airport.”

“How can someone smell like an airport?” Peter asked, despite walking away towards the bathroom - he knew he didn't smell like an airport, the only one he’d actually been in was the one that he had fought the rogue Avengers in and he had definitely showered after that. 

Ben would have noticed the blood and dirt on him for sure if he hadn't, but still, he could sense when someone was trying to get rid of him, so he took his cases to his room and fought the urge to take his suit out and try it on. 

It wouldn't be smart to get caught by Ben as Spider-Man now, not when he was doing so well. 

-

Tony Stark walked away from Ben Parker’s apartment with a small smile playing on his lips from the memory of the man’s genuinely surprised expression - it was almost like he hadn't expected that anyone could be attracted to him. 

“What’s going on with you?” Happy asked as Tony slipped back into the car, he had been partially surprised that Happy hadn't grown irate with being left alone without a comment, and driven off to leave Tony to make his own way home. 

Part of him wished that could have been the case, he could have then pretended his phone had died and made his way back upstairs to ask Ben to borrow his cellphone for a brief moment. 

“Nothing,” was all Tony said instead. 

“Really?” Happy scoffed, “because you’re acting weird Tony.” 

“I’m not,” Tony snapped, “I’m acting perfectly normal.”

He understood the irony of his words but thankfully he wasn't called out on it, instead Happy left him to his thoughts - and what nice thoughts they were. 

He could picture a certain face in his mind, he could see those molten brown eyes that stared back at him with a teasing spark, he could picture the way the man would push his glasses back up his nose with the palm of his hand, before using that same hand to run through his unruly mess of hair - a darker shade of brown than his nephew’s. 

Ben Parker. 

He was a man of mysteries, mainly because something in Tony told him that he shouldn't take advantage of his technology and use F.R.I.D.A.Y. to research who the man was and what he liked. It was strange, having to learn about a person like a normal guy would, but he knew that it would be better in the long run. 

Tony had a record of mucking things up, especially relationships, so he was determined to do this one right. He couldn't even explain why he wanted to, but there was something about the man that was intriguing and tantalising. Not only was he attractive, but there was something that drew Tony in and made him feel like he wanted to get to know him better. 

“I’m not going to push you,” Happy said, speaking up again after a few minutes, “but just be careful, alright?” 

“Hap, you know me,” Tony said with a wide grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, “when am I not careful?” 

“It’s because I know you that I know you're never as careful as you should be,” Happy warned him, “don’t make me tell Rhodes about this.” 

Tony merely hummed, it wasn't his fault the kid had a hot Uncle, he couldn't have predicted that - and he was just lucky enough that the man was single, he only needed to figure out if he was attracted to men. That would be interesting to try and figure out, unless the kid knew? Maybe he could get some inside info. 

From: Tony   
To: Peter   
_ Lab days. Every Thursday. Don’t be late. _

From: Peter   
To: Tony   
_ Is this Mr. Stark??? And do you want just me? Or should I bring ben too? ;) _

From: Tony   
To: Peter  
_ I have no idea what you’re insinuating but remember I can make you disappear.  _

There was no reply to that and Tony realised with a metaphorical palm slap to his forehead that he had let it slip to the kid that he cared enough to add his number, and he had given the kid access to his own personal number. Hopefully he was smart enough not to spread it around his friends. 

Tony knew how schools worked, no one would believe Peter when he said he had an internship so hopefully he wouldn't use the phone number as proof. No, he wouldn't do that, they’d recruited him because he was smart and mature… hopefully. 

Tony tucked his phone away into his pocket and tried to imagine what Ben Parker could do as a living, maybe something with his hands; it would be a fitting match if he liked to create things as Tony did. Maybe they could create things together, that would be nice. 

He wasn't going to lose his mind over this man, but he was already beginning to think that he would gladly lose his heart, hopefully the feeling would be mutual. He had a habit of falling for the wrong people, he could only hope that for once he was falling head over heels for the right one. 

Unfortunately, this was real life, and there would be no way for him to tell how right it was until he was already vulnerable and in prime position to be hurt. Although, these things often went both ways, and despite the thought feeling abhorrent to him, Tony had to remember that he could hurt Ben too. 

In fact, it was likely, after all Tony destroyed everything he touched. He was like fire, he burned everything in his vicinity and left no survivors, maybe it would be better for him to leave Ben alone and alive. 


	4. alien weapons

Time was dragging for Peter, he swore that every hour was taking three times as long to pass as normal and every day was stretching out and lingering for as long as it possibly could. He had been spending all his free time canvassing his neighbourhood in search of crime, in fact, Queens had been safer in the last few weeks than it had in years. 

He was reaching the point where all he had left to do was help kind old men and ladies cross the road, he would carry shopping bags home for parents who were struggling to push their stroller and carry their purchases at the same time, he would retrieve stolen bikes and prevent carjackings. 

But the serious crimes were all gone, there were no more attempted bank robberies, no more alleyway assaults or gunpoint muggings. Knife crime was on a downward spiral, things were safer, which was something to celebrate. Except, Peter was getting bored, he felt like he was ready to do more, hadn't he proved himself already? Hadn't he shown Mr. Stark that he knew how to handle himself? Why was no one calling him? Didn't they think him capable? 

Not only was Peter being forced to deal with his own insecurities about not living up to expectations, but he was also dealing with Ben’s sour moods. Apparently Mr. Stark hadn't messaged him since Peter had been dropped off, to which Peter wanted to say ‘mood’ because other than a brief message taking back the offer of weekly lab time, he was also receiving radio silence. 

So, Peter sat on the corner of a building in his fancy new suit and ate a sandwich as he watched over the boring streets of Queens and figured he should finish up and head home, Ned was planning to come around with his new Lego set. 

As he stood, all thoughts of Ned vanished from his mind, and his attention was fully captured by the flash of light that didn't appear to come from anything human. 

“Finally,” Peter mumbled, thanking that spider for his enhanced eyesight, “something good.” 

He threw himself off the building, feeling his stomach swoop as though he was on a rollercoaster, before he shot a web and pulled himself upwards, his toes only inches from the tarmac as he did so.

He let out a loud laugh at the close call and continued on towards what appeared to be a bank, there were a fair few men inside. That was good, this wouldn't be a boring fight at least. He noticed that the men were all wearing what seemed to be kid’s plastic masks and to make things even more ironic they were masks of The Avengers. 

Peter carefully entered the bank, not bothering with any tricks since apparently,, no one was bothering to act as a lookout anyway. He took a little time and posed himself in front of a large poster that fittingly was talking about identity theft - he couldn't have lined this up any better really. 

He cleared his throat, “what’s up guys?” he asked, wishing that he was able to bask in their moment of shock for the rest of his life, in fact - the guy who was wearing Thor’s mask had physically jumped with the shock of being caught in the act. 

“You forget your PIN number?” he continued, mentally patting himself on the back for that joke, he was hilarious. He needed to address the irony of them using The Avengers’ masks, although he was partially wondering whether it was a challenge aimed towards the elite group, “woah! You’re The Avengers! What are you guys doing here?”

As if on a cue, the men aimed their weapons at Peter, and his hearing picked up on the metallic clicking as they cocked their guns in his direction. He instantly shot his webs, grabbing one of the guns with them and whipping it across all their faces. They hadn't expected that in the slightest. 

Peter took advantage of their surprise to launch himself above them, “Thor, Hulk, good to finally meet you guys,” he muttered as he used his feet to grab the man with the Thor mask and send him flying into the identity theft poster, “I thought you’d be more handsome in person.”

His Spidey-Senses suddenly flared and he turned around just in time to see the man in the Iron Man mask swinging a fist towards him, “Iron Man! Hey, what are you doing robbing a bank? You’re a billionaire,” he asked as he dodged the hits.

It was all going so well for him, he was making the  _ best  _ quips, he was dodging blows and taking out the bad guys at an unprecedented rate, in fact, he would potentially go as far as to say he was bossing the situation. That was until he launched himself forward and found that he was stuck in mid-air, surrounded by a strange blue haze of light. 

It felt as though his body simultaneously weighed a thousand tons and nothing at all at the same time, it was the most bizarre feeling he had ever had and he tried to say that out loud but he couldn't even tell if he was getting the words out, everything felt warbly and weird. 

And then he was thrown into the wall. 

Or rather, the damned identity theft poster, the glass coating it shattered on impact and Peter couldn't help but groan to himself as he pushed through the stunning pain, and lifted his head off the shards that were coating the ground, “what is that thing?” he asked, not expecting an answer. 

Instead of a reply, he was lifted from the ground in that same blue haze before being slammed into the ceiling, apparently the bad guys enjoyed doing that to him as they started to slam him between the floor and ceiling. 

“I’m starting-” floor “-to think-” ceiling “-you’re not-” floor “The Avengers.” 

Getting sick of the feeling the blue haze created and the thudding that was forming in his head from being smacked around, he used his abilities to stick to the ground and shot a web towards the cash machine that was sitting loosely in the wall, he yanked it forward, taking out the man with the weird glowy weapon. 

“Alright,” Peter said, growing fed up with the men’s constant use of bizarre weapons, it felt a bit like cheating, “let’s wrap this up, this is a school night.” 

The Not Iron Man lifted the glowy gun again, but Peter was ready this time - he shot another web and glued the weapon to the wall, causing Not Iron Man to get stuck with it. 

“So how do jerks like you get tech like this?” Peter asked, jumping closer and pinging the mask off the criminal's face. 

Before the guy could answer, not that Peter had expected he would, a high pitched whirring sounded from behind him and he turned to see a purple beam powering up. 

“No! Wait, wait, wait,” Peter shouted before the guy fired and he was forced to launch himself out of the way, which was probably a good move as he watched the glass where he had been shatter as a laser-like beam pierced through it and carved it's way around the room, not stopping at the boundary of the walls but also damaging the outside world.

Which was all fine until Peter noticed that the small bodega across the road that was one of his favourite places to go after school and grab his Spider-Man snack, had been hit. 

“Mr. Delmar.” 

He didn't need more than a second to think about what to do, he left the Not Avengers to their robbery and sprinted across the road to rescue the man who was a friend to the whole neighbourhood with his friendly smiles and teasing comments. 

Peter didn't even need to worry about doors as the front of the store had mostly been removed and flames were licking at everything in sight as a greatly loved store was viciously burnt. 

“I’m coming, Mr. Delmar,” he promised under his breath as he stuck low to the ground and mentally thanked Mr. Stark for installing an air filtering system in his mask, that man had really thought of everything, “you’ll be alright.” 

He heard a small hiss coming from the corner of the room and quickly made a sweep off the side to scoop the cat up. 

“Mr. Delmar? You in here?” Peter called out. 

“Spider-Man?” Mr. Delmar stood up slowly from behind the counter, coughing from the smoke, “I- I called the police.”

“You did good, Mr. Delmar,” Peter promised, before securing the cat under one arm and supporting the other man with his free one, “you really did.” 

When they got outside, Peter glanced over at the bank it was empty, of course they would have used his distraction to their advantage and made a break for it.

“Oh, come on,” he whined, before handing Mr. Delmar his cat back and making an excuse to leave. 

He tried his best to canvas the area, looking for anyone out of the norm, or strange glowing weapons, but there was absolutely nothing in sight. Maybe this was something that would be bigger just one bank robbery? Especially with those weapons, they weren't anything that Peter had seen before, maybe they weren't even completely human. 

He did the only logical thing - he called his point man, who surprisingly answered him for once. 

“Happy, the craziest thing just happened to me!” he shouted as he started to run in the direction of his home, “these guys were robbing an ATM with these high-tech weapon things-”

“I don't have time for ATM robberies,” Happy said, interrupting him. 

“Yeah, but-”

Apparently, Happy wasn't finished, “or the notes you leave behind, I have moving day to worry about, everything’s gotta be out by next week.” 

“Wait, wait, you’re moving?” Peter asked, “who’s moving?” 

“Yeah, don’t you watch the news? Tony sold Avengers Tower,” Peter mentally scoffed at the name, to him it would always be Stark Tower, “we’re relocating to a facility upstate, where hopefully the cell service will be much worse.” 

_ Ouch  _

“But what about me?” Peter asked quietly. 

“What about you?” Happy asked, and that hurt just as much as the cell service comment. 

“Well,” Peter said, “what if Mr. Stark needs me? Or something big goes down? Can I please just talk to Mr. Stark?”

“Stay away from anything dangerous,” Happy said in response, “I’m responsible for making sure you’re responsible, ok?” 

“I am responsible,” Peter said as he dropped down into the alleyway he’d left his school backpack in, “I- oh crap, my backpack’s gone.” 

“That doesn't sound very responsible,” Happy contradicted him, and honestly Peter couldn't argue there. 

“I’ll call you back.” 

“Feel free not to.” 

He sighed and shook his head, who had he asked for a new backpack last time? Had it been May or Ben? He really needed to start leaving them on rooftops rather than behind dumpsters because he was going through far too many. 

Accepting the loss, he made his way back to Ben’s and crawled up the side of the building - something that was way easier in his mind than climbing all those flights of stairs. Thankfully, as they lived so far up, Ben wasn't too concerned about the fact that Peter never shut his bedroom window, he believed the lie that he slept better in a cold room. 

He carefully crept into his bedroom, making his way across the ceiling to his partially opened door - Ben was home, he would have checked to see if his nephew was doing homework or if he was out doing internship things. Peter shed his mask once he was in the room, letting it drop to the floor as though it wasn't a multi-million dollar suit he had been gifted and carefully eased the door shut with his foot before dropping to the ground and turning the light dimmer up. 

CRASH!

_ Shit!  _

Peter whirled around to see the smashed Lego Death Star lying on the ground where it must have rolled off his best friend’s lap from where he was sitting on the side of Peter’s bed. 

“You’re the Spider-Man.” 

“No, no, no, no!” 

“You are,” Ned said, “from YouTube.” 

“No I’m not,” Peter lied, even though he knew he’d been caught in the act and there wasn't much he could say to get out of this situation, still though he tried his best and slapped the spider emblem on his chest so the suit loosened and fell off him.

“You were on the ceiling,” Ned pointed out.

“No I wasn't,” Peter lied, “Ned, what are you doing in my bedroom?” 

“Ben let me in, I told him about the Death Star,” Ned said, glancing down at the mess on the floor. 

“You can't just bust into my room,” Peter argued, as though that was the issue here.

And then, doing just what Peter had decided Ned wasn't allowed to do, Ben also busted into his room. 

“Pete, May wants to know if you’re up for Thai?” Ben offered, the phone in one hand against his ear. 

“Uh, sure.” 

“Ned? You in?” 

“Yea-” 

“He can’t, he has a thing,” Peter said quickly, knowing his friend wouldn't be able to act normally for the next twelve hours at least. 

“A thing I have to do,” Ned instantly agreed, and that’s why he was a great best friend. 

“Al….right,” Ben said slowly, “we’ll see you there, about an hour sound ok… ok, love you, bye.” 

“Thai?” Peter asked. 

“She burnt her dinner and thinks the waiter at the Thai place down the street has a crush on her so she needs us to do some scouting,” Ben said, “oh, and Peter you should really put some clothes on.”

“Yeah,” Peter mumbled, “I’m doing that.” 

Ben made to leave before pausing in the doorway and turning back. 

“How,” Ben paused and swallowed, Peter’s attention was instantly captured, “how was your internship tonight?” 

“Oh, you know?” Peter said with a shrug, “just making sure Mr. Stark’s coffee cup was full at all times and trying to sort through his mess of papers - that man has  _ no  _ filing system.” 

“Oh,” Ben said, “do you guy, uh, talk?” 

“About what?” Peter wondered, before continuing anyway, “I mean we talk about stabilising agents and thermonuclear reactions, but that’s about all.”

“So… he hasn't mentioned me?” Ben wondered. 

“Sorry, Ben,” Peter said quietly, feeling guilty, it wasn't his fault that Tony Stark was ghosting his uncle, but he hadn't been telling the truth after all. 

He hadn't seen Mr. Stark since the day he’d been dropped off home after the trip to Germany, and his texts were also being ignored therefore he was also being ghosted. 

Ben just nodded and forced a smile on his face, “no worries, Pete, it’s just nice to get updates on how you’re doing, you know?” 

“Yeah,” Peter mumbled quietly as he watched his uncle walk away, his shoulders a little more slumped than they had been before. 

“Yeah, that was awkward to watch,” Ned said, nodding to himself. 


	5. Tony's mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so in this fic ben is not a cop

Tony couldn't help but wish he was anywhere other than where he was - not because the wedding wasn't beautiful, or because the company wasn't pleasant, but because he didn't want company at all. There were people everywhere and all of them were keen to share stories about the bride and groom as they downed glasses of celebratory champagne and made as many toasts as they could think of.

Rather than being a buzzkill and letting his mood sour the event, he made his escape, weaving through the people and exchanging pleasantries where he absolutely had to until he found a cupboard down one of the hallways, without pausing to consider whether it was a good idea, he slipped inside. 

His first impression was that, once he closed the door behind him, it was dark. 

His second was that, once he turned the light on, it was a broom closet.

“Alright,” Tony muttered to himself as he looked around, “I can make this work.” 

He found a bucket that was empty and turned it upside down into a makeshift stool before settling down and pulling out his phone in preparation for a long hideout. Unsurprisingly, he had a message from Happy. 

From: Happy   
To: Tony   
_ I saw you go in there. Is everything alright? Do you need any help or just a message when it’s an acceptable time to leave? _

From: Tony    
To: Happy   
_ Just let me know when I can go.  _

He sighed and laid his head back against the wall, letting the muffled noises of the celebrations outside stay exactly that, outside. It was nice, except, he really should have… 

From: Tony    
To: Happy   
_ Thank you.  _

Happy didn't reply but Tony knew that the message had been received, the man was just terrible at accepting thanks even if he did make a point of being dramatic about how watching the kid was a thankless job, and ‘really, Tony, I have to listen to forty minute long rambling messages about his day, do you realise what a drain on resources that is?’. 

“Hey, F.R.I,” Tony said quietly, so no one outside his little cupboard would be able to hear, “can you Google, Ben Parker?”

_ “Google?”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked, her lilting voice coming through the speaker of his phone at an equal volume to his own, she was perceptive like that,  _ “I don't follow, do you not mean to search my databases?”  _

“No, no, no,” Tony said quickly, “I don’t want to know anything that’s not publicly available. I just want to know what a basic search that anyone could do would show up.” 

_ “Noted,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said,  _ “searching for Benjamin Franklin Parker.”  _

“Franklin?” Tony asked before letting out a snort of amusement, “that’s something I will definitely be mentioning in the future.” 

_ “You would have to talk to him in order to do that, Boss,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. 

Rather than making his usual quippy reply about F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s programming, or threats about how he could mute her or change her code somehow - once he had threatened to make her a Scottish man which she had  _ not  _ liked - he just sighed heavily. Yeah, speaking to Ben sounded like a good idea in theory but Tony’s theories often took weeks and multiple disastrous situations to achieve a semi-successful outcome. 

Which was fine when he was designing a new suit or trying to finetune some of his technology, but he couldn't but the other man through that - not when Tony was already able to see something broken in his gaze, something that reminded him uncomfortably of himself. 

_ “Showing result’s on your screen for a ‘Google’-”  _ her voice twisted with distaste  _ “-search on Benjamin Franklin Parker. Would you like me to read them aloud for you?”  _

“No, no,” Tony muttered, casting his eyes over the lists of articles and photographs that held the information he was so desperately thirsting for, “I’ve got this.” 

The first link he clicked on almost killed him. 

Tony was faced with a group of smiling people, all of them firefighters and kitted up in their gear as though they were about to walk into a burning building, except they had no helmets on so they could grin at the camera and let their sweaty heads cool off. The heading read: 

**Firefighters gear up for charity car wash!**

And oh, if Tony had known Ben a few months ago, he would have driven every car he owned through that charity car wash and felt no shame while doing so. Something that he noticed was how widely Ben grinned when he was surrounded by his team, he radiated pride and joy. That was a man who loved his job and his team.

“ F.R.I., find out which station he works for and anonymously donate however much it takes to completely renovate their dwellings,” Tony commanded. 

_ “Anonymously?”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y questioned. 

“I can’t come across as  _ too  _ keen,” Tony said as though that should have been obvious, “we’re playing this cool.” 

_ “As cool as ice, judging by your newfound love of ghosting,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. snarked. 

“Listen,” Tony muttered, “no one asked you.” 

_ “You are a billionaire sitting in a broom closet ‘Googling’ a man you like but won’t talk to because you have trauma that you refuse to work through in a healthy manner,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. 

“Mute.” 

Tony continued his search the old-fashioned way, by typing Ben’s name into the search engine and filtering his way through all the dud results to find ones that were actually of merit. He learned a lot, such as that Ben Parker was not an unusual name, nor was Ben Parker: Firefighter an effective search. 

But after going through the image searches he did find something interesting. Apparently Ben painted. 

Tony tried to picture those rough hands in his mind, hardened from years of firefighting and general hard work, he then tried to imagine them holding a paintbrush and flawlessly coating a canvas in a myriad of colours that sang in perfect harmony and complemented one another as though they had been placed there by an ethereal being and not a mere man. 

“Unmute,” Tony said, finally giving in, “ F.R.I.D.A.Y. can you buy me one of these?” 

_ “These are not for sale, this appears to be an online portfolio and not a store,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed him. 

“Alright,” Tony muttered, scrolling through the pictures, “so how do I go about buying one?” 

_ “I would assume that they’re not for sale, however, if you’d wish I could send an anonymous offer?”  _

“No…” Tony said slowly, not entirely convinced of his own answer, “that would be crossing a line I think. Besides, what if he found out one day what I’d done, maybe he’d be pissed. I don't want to ruin anything.” 

_ “You have to talk to him in order to ruin things.”  _

“ F.R.I. come on,” Tony said, “you know that’s not a good idea, it just wouldn't end well, besides now I know his kid’s biggest secret and how would that work? I can't go into a relationship keeping secrets, that’s just a recipe for disaster.” 

_ “At least you’ve accepted that you’re interested in a relationship and not just friendship now,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. 

“I’m going to mute you again in a moment,” he threatened, but before he could go any further and follow through, the door to the broom closet opened, letting bright natural light flow in. 

It was Happy, “Tony come on, people are looking for you.”

“Looking for me?” Tony asked with a haughty chin raise, “why would they be doing that?” 

“Get your ass off that bucket before I drag it off,” Happy threatened, “what are you even looking at?” 

“It’s none of your-” but Happy was already staring over his shoulder at the screen, his disappointment was palpable, “Tony, really?” 

“It’s all completely legal,” Tony said quickly, “look, I used Google.” 

“Tony, if you like this man-” 

“I don't!” Tony snapped. 

“-then talk to him, what’s the worst that could happen?” Happy continued as though Tony hadn't interrupted. 

“He could reject me, or be straight and reject me, or just-” 

“You’re rambling,” Happy said, “it’s almost as annoying as when the kid rambles in those voicemails, so don't.” 

“There’s too much that could go wrong.”

“And there’s so much that could go right,” Happy countered.

“Look, Hap, I get that-” 

_ “Sir, SM-010020 is requesting immediate backup, systems compromised and vital signs are outwith parameters,”  _ F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted them both. 

“SM-what?” Happy asked.

“Shit, that’s the hidden AI in his suit,” Tony slipped his glasses back on, and immediately the interface lit up, “the damn kid has gotten himself into a situation he can’t get out of.”

“Are you going to help him?” Happy asked frantically.

“Am I go- what kind of question is that?” Tony asked with a scoff in his voice, “of course I am, my suit is seven seconds out.”

Tony could see the tiny blip on the screen that indicated Peter’s tracker and he flew the suit down into the water, never feeling more grateful for being able to remotely use the suits. Peter was just suspended in the water, not moving, not struggling. Tony couldn't see any attempt to swim back to the surface from the kid, and even though he was safely in India at a wedding, he too held his breath. 

“Tony?” Happy was past mere worry, “damn it, Tony! What’s happening?”

Tony didn't answer, instead, he focused on scooping the limp kid into his grip under the arms and put his power into flying upwards and out of the water. 

Peter groaned and his head rolled. 

“He’s alright,” Tony said with an audible sigh of relief, “now I’m going to go rip him a new one, don't wait up!” 

“Tony! You can't just walk away,” Happy shouted after him as he did exactly that, “you’re walking away.” 

_ “Oh, hey,”  _ Peter mumbled, seeming to need a few minutes to himself to come around, it was reassuring to see that he could actually be affected by this kind of thing - hopefully it would stop him from diving headfirst into danger again. 

Naturally, the wariness wore off pretty quickly and Tony was on the receiving end of one of the kid’s legendary rambling speeches, which he was honestly not listening to completely. He was too busy wondering how he would have broken the news to Ben that his kid was gone, that he’d drowned in a lake while out as Spider-Man- or, wait, what week was it? 

The kid would have been staying with his Aunt, which means that Ben potentially didn't even know that his nephew wasn’t home. That would have made the blow of the bad news all the worse and Tony felt anger bubbling in his veins at the idea that he was almost in that position. Seriously, what had the kid been doing? 

“-and then he just swooped down like a monster, and he just picked me up and took me up to like a thousand feet and just dropped me!” Peter was saying from where he was wringing out his mask from his place on top of the kiddie’s climbing frame. “How’d you find me anyway? Did you put a tracker in my suit or something?” 

“I put everything in your suit,” Tony said as though it should have been obvious, “including this heater.” 

“Woah,” Peter mumbled in awe, visibly relaxing as he started to warm up, “that’s- that’s better.” 

And now for the ripping a new one, “ _ what _ were you thinking?” 

“The guy with the wings is obviously the source of the weapons,” Peter tried to explain, but all Tony could think was ‘ _ seriously?’,  _ “I gotta take him down!” 

“Take him down now, huh? Steady there Crockett, there are people who handle this sort of thing.” 

“The Avengers?” Oh, great, of course, he shouldn't have left that so open, why would the kid’s mind go anywhere sensible? Now he was going to have to deter him before he got the whole ‘I can be an Avenger’ speech. 

“No, no, no,” Tony said rapidly, “this is a little below their pay grade.” 

“Anyway, Mr. Stark, you didn't have to come all the way out here,” Peter said, “I had that, I was fine.” 

_ Fine? That was fine?  _ Potentially drowning in a lake, wrapped up in a parachute that would have ended him, that was all fine? How could the kid actually say that? How could he think he hadn't majorly fucked up? 

“Oh,” Tony said, his voice a degree harder, “I’m not here. Thank God and Ganesh this place had WiFi otherwise you’d be toast, very soggy toast but the point stands, and me? I’d be informing your Uncle that you were secretly a superhero and that I failed at keeping you safe. All those safety systems were for emergencies, things that shouldn't have been an issue for you fighting muggers and bike thieves, but  _ no _ you just had to overstep-” he broke off and sighed, feeling guilty at the dejected look on the kid’s face, “look, forget the flying vulture guy for now.” 

“Why?” Peter instantly asked. 

“ _ Why?  _ Because I said so!” he shouted, spooking someone near him, “sorry, I’m talking to a teenager. Look, Peter, just stay close to the ground, build up your game helping the little people, like that lady who bought you the churro.” 

Peter brightened at that and Tony realised that he had just confessed to listening to some of the voicemails that the kid had left. 

“Can’t you just be a friendly… neighbourhood Spider-Man?” 

“But I’m ready for more than that now,” Peter promised.

“No, you’re not.” 

“That is not what you thought when I took on Captain America,” Peter argued, as though he was going to get anywhere by reminding Tony that the safe situation he had hoped to take the kid into had gone so horribly sideways. 

“Trust me, Kid, if Cap wanted to lay you out, he would’ve,” Tony said, as he climbed into his car, “listen to me, if you come across these weapons again, call Happy.”

“Are you driving?” 

“You know,” Tony said, “it’s never too early to start thinking about college, I got some pull at MIT, you’d save your Uncle a lot of heartbreak.” 

“If you’re so concerned about my Uncle why don't you text him for once?” 

“End call,” Tony said in response. 

Not even the purr of the car beneath him was enough to soothe the anxious energy that was filling him, why was the young boy so eager to put himself in harm’s way? Why wouldn't he stop and consider the impact on others? But then… wasn't that what Tony was doing? He wasn't considering Ben’s feelings by ignoring them. Maybe he could just… 

“F.R.I., send a text to Ben Parker,” Tony finally decided, “say: So, Franklin huh?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this take on Tony's POV!! Let me know what you thought please and you can find me on tumblr [@ephemeralstark](ephemeralstark.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you for reading my lovelies <3333


	6. Chapter 6

It took Ben three days to respond to Tony Stark’s text message, and that wasn't because he was trying to match him at his own game, or because he was trying to get revenge for the man waiting so long to actually reach out, but rather because he had no idea how to respond to that text. 

Every now and then he would unlock his phone and stare at those few words with a puzzled expression. 

**From:** Tony    
**To:** Ben   
_ So, Franklin, huh? _

What kind of message was that? Did the man really think he could ghost everyone for all that time and then turn up with a teasing quip and expect to be instantly forgiven? So Ben deliberated for days… he tossed and turned at night time struggling to find the temptress that was sleep as those three words danced in the forefront of his mind. He would wake up and the first thing that he would think was, ‘so, Franklin, huh?’, even when he was at work, he would be thinking about that text. 

But it wasn't just the text he was thinking about, it was the man who had sent it. 

Ben wouldn't deny that Tony Stark was an attractive man, in fact, he would go as far as to say he was gorgeous. He could vividly remember opening the door that afternoon to see him standing there on the rugged doormat and his first thought being,  _ wow, the TV and magazines don't do him justice.  _ Tony had been standing there in a suit that looked more expensive than anything Ben owned, it was pristine and perfectly tailored to his body in a way that made Ben have to remind himself to look in the man’s eyes. 

Tony had been wearing a pair of tinted shades that he removed and slid onto his suit jacket revealing his eyes, and Ben realised that every time he had thought brown eyes to be boring or basic, he had been completely wrong. 

He had felt the heat rising up his neck and spreading across his cheeks as the man on his doorstop smiled, “I’m looking for Peter Parker.” 

“Yes, I mean no, I’m not Peter, but yes this is where he lives, sometimes, not all the time,” Ben paused and swallowed. 

To his surprise, Tony had laughed and brushed past him, making his way into the apartment, Ben could only thank whatever deity that was watching over him that he’d decided to tidy that morning. 

“Peter is my nephew,” Ben said, finding it easier to say the right words when he wasn't staring into the eyes of one of the most attractive, unattainable men he had ever seen, “he should be home from school soon.” 

“You said he only lives here part of the time?” Tony asked. 

“He stays here every other week,” Ben said, “if he isn't here then he’ll be at my ex-wife’s.” 

“Ah,” Tony said, before he had turned back to Ben and gave him that same damned smile again, “sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on you like this.” 

“No, uh, not at- not all at, I mean, not at all,” Ben stammered, oh god he was fucking this up majorly wasn't he? It was going to be so obvious that he was crushing on the superhero, that was embarrassing, “tea. I’ll make tea and coffee, and I’m pretty sure I have some cake hidden somewhere so we can have that too.” 

And with that, Ben left Tony standing in the small living room and disappeared into the kitchen to make tea and coffee. Once he got in there he had closed the door and let his head fall back against it, why was he such a disaster? Could he not just act normally? This was just a man, sure a completely drop-dead gorgeous man, but a man nonetheless and one that was here because of something to do with his nephew. 

“Ben!” Peter shouted, pulling him from his memories. 

“Woah, where’s the fire kiddo?” Ben asked with a laugh, that joke was a personal favourite of his, as a fireman. 

“Really?” Peter asked, looking as unimpressed as he usually did.

“ Fine,” Ben said with a sigh, “come on then, hit me, what’s up?” 

“So, you know how I rejoined the decathlon?” Peter began. 

“You did?” 

“Yeah, this morning, haven't you been checking your messages?” Peter asked with a frown, and Ben had to refrain from admitting that he had but he’d only really been looking at one message in particular. He hadn't told his nephew about Tony reaching out, mainly because Peter wouldn't understand his hesitance about answering, which was fair, after all, Ben didn't fully understand it himself. 

“Uh,” Ben mumbled. 

“Nevermind, I have great news!” Peter said, resuming his previous excited energy as though he hadn't paused it to scold his uncle for ignoring his texts, “I’m going to D.C.” 

“You’re going to D.C.?” Ben repeated questioningly, “is this to do with Tony?” 

“Tony, huh?” Peter asked in a teasing tone before laughing and shaking his head, “nope, I told you, it’s Decathlon stuff, you’ve really got Mr. Stark on your mind huh?” 

“Shut up,” Ben said, playfully shoving his kid’s shoulder and  _ damn _ when had the weedy nerd he’d always known started to work out? “So, when is this trip?” 

“Uh, tomorrow?” 

“It’s a good thing I love you, you know that, right?” Ben asked. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter said, waving him off, “I’m gonna go pack, and I’ll let you continue to ignore Mr. Stark.” 

Ben spluttered. How did the kid even realise that? 

“I’m not ignoring anyone!” Ben shouted after him, although apparently, his response was a tad delayed because there was no response from Peter. 

With a groan of annoyance - both at himself for being such a coward and at Tony for being so damn attractive - Ben pulled out his phone and brought up the message once more. 

**From:** Ben   
**To:** Tony   
_ You’ve been doing your research _

With that, he locked his phone and threw it across the room onto the armchair where he wouldn't be able to see the screen light up with a reply, or worse - see the screen stay dark as he was inevitably ignored by the stunning billionaire with the magnetic personality and- 

_ PING _

Ben crossed the room in three strides and yanked his phone up before the screen had even faded to black, he had replied! Tony Stark had replied to him… Benjamin Parker. It didn't make any sense, it was completely unreal and illogical but there Ben was, staring at the tiny notification. 

**From:** Tony   
**To:** Ben   
_ Gotta make sure you’re not a secret serial killer.  _

**From:** Ben   
**To:** Tony   
_ Are you convinced?  _

**From:** Tony   
**To:** Ben   
_ With a name like Franklin? It might take a little more to convince me.  _

Ben couldn't stop the laugh from escaping, but once it had he quickly snapped his mouth shut and held his breath as he listened carefully to make sure Peter wasn't lingering outside the door - sometimes he really felt like his nephew could hear  _ everything.  _

He felt like he was a teen again, flirting secretly with a person that made his heart race and his tummy swoop as though he’d had a large lunch of butterflies. He wanted to giggle and smush his face into a pillow for some reason as he tried to come up with something to continue the conversation that would also entice Tony into continuing the conversation. 

**From:** Ben   
**To:** Tony   
_ Alright then, what’s yours?  _

**From:** Tony   
**To:** Ben   
_ Edward, it’s also on Google.  _

**From:** Ben   
**To:** Tony   
_ Well, you share a name with a sparkly vampire from teen fiction, so I would say you’re more likely to be the serial killer.  _

**From:** Tony   
**To:** Ben   
_ But… Franklin…  _

Ben couldn't help but snicker to himself, before quickly forcing his face into a neutral expression as Peter raced back into the room with a litany of questions and a grin wider than Ben had seen on him in a long time.

Which is why Ben found himself dropping Peter off at school at six in the morning, despite having stayed up until one texting a certain superhero. 

“Ben, seriously, you didn't have to come with me,” Peter said for the billionth time, “you look exhausted, I could have gotten the bus on my own, I’ve done it hundreds of times.” 

“No way,” Ben said, also for the billionth time, “my kid is leaving me for a couple of nights, and for something really impressive, I’m not going to miss this.” 

“But you should have slept in,” Peter said. 

“Shut it, scamp,” Ben said, ruffling Peter’s hair so his curls were even more unruly than usual, “I’m already here now, so arguing with me is moot.” 

“Uh huh,” Peter said with a knowing grin, “you just don't want me to figure out that you were up all night texting Mr. Stark.” 

“How- what- you-” Ben spluttered in shock, “I  _ was not.”  _

“Yeah, you were,” Peter said rolling his eyes, “you have the same dopey smile on your face that you had when I saw you yesterday.” 

“I do not have a dopey smile,” Ben said, although he couldn't deny that his lips instantly started to curl upwards at the thought of Tony. 

“You‘re the definition of dopey,” Peter snarked. 

Ben couldn't help but laugh because to be fair, the kid was right. He was acting all stupid and lovestruck when really, there was every chance he was just a passing distraction for a man who had everything and wanted something different temporarily. 

“Peter, come on!” Ned shouted from over by the bus where a group of excited but tired looking teens were congregating, “oh, hi Mr. Parker!” 

“Hey, Ned!” Ben called back, doing an awkward little wave as Peter’s peers turned their gazes towards him and for a brief moment he felt small and paranoid wondering how harshly the group of students was judging him. He mentally shook himself before pulling Peter into a tight hug. 

Something he was always glad of was how willing Peter was to show affection, no matter who was around, so Peter instantly returned the hug and gave Ben a gentle pat on the back. 

“Hey, maybe you could use the break from me to… I don't know, go on a date?” Peter suggested - like the absolute little shit he was. 

“You do realise that I have an entire week where I can date when you’re with your Aunt, right?” 

“You’re evading,” Peter decided, before laughing and jogging off to join his friends, not giving Ben a chance to answer. 

And that should have been it. 

Peter should have been away in D.C. having a great time with his friends, he should have arrived home with a proud smile on his face and a medal in his hands, he should have been sending pictures of him and Ned pulling faces in front of all the touristy locations, he should have been safe. 

Ben should not have been standing in the lounge at the fire station watching the news while biting his nails within an inch of his life as he tersely shrugged off his coworkers reassuring words. 

“Ben, come on buddy, watching that won’t help anything.” 

“Leave me alone, Ricky,” Ben snapped. 

“Alright, just… just try not to get wrapped up in the worst case scenario, alright?” Ricky said gently as he lay a hand on Ben’s shoulder, only to be roughly shrugged off. 

Ben paced rapidly in front of the TV, eyes never leaving the screen as he tried to think, tried to work out if there was anything he could do to help his kid. He tried his best not to focus on what would happen if the elevator in the memorial fell, he tried not to remind himself that he was an awful person who had initially hoped it wasn't Peter’s class in that elevator. 

With a sudden spark of inspiration he pulled his phone out of his pocket, almost dropping it with his hasty movements, it took him only moments to find the number he needed and even less time to press call. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Tony’s voice was just as Ben remembered it, but he suppressed the warmth that seemed to run through his veins and reminded himself about his kid being in life-threatening danger. 

“I don't care what I owe you, what you need in return, I don't care about anything right now except for Peter,” Ben said, his voice coming out gravelly and hoarse from the lump in his throat that was catching when he tried to talk, “I need you to save him,  _ please.”  _

“Peter?” Tony’s voice was suddenly cautious, “what happened? Is he injured?” 

“Injured?” Ben asked, feeling like there was more meaning behind that than he knew, “I don't know, he’s in D.C., he had a school thing and-” 

“And?” Tony prompted gently, before Ben heard him speak again slightly more muffled - he must have covered the speaker,  _ “F.R.I.D.A.Y. pull up the latest headlines.”  _

“There’s been an accident,” Ben said, “or something, I don’t know, all I know is Peter’s class is in that elevator. You have to have something that can help, can't you fly a suit up… or- or I don't know a plane or something?” 

“Look,” Tony said in a gentle voice that somehow made Ben listen, “look at the TV, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” 

“Is that… Spider-Man?” Ben asked carefully, watching the cameras try to focus on the red and blue figure that was rapidly crawling up the side of the monument. 

“Yeah, and you know what?” Tony asked. 

“What?” 

“I would trust Spider-Man with my life,” Tony said. 

“Would you trust him with Peter’s?” Ben asked. 

There was a brief silence, “the only person I wouldn't trust him with is his own life, Spider-Man can forget to look after himself in the act of helping others,” Tony said, and his words were honest. It was reassuring to hear. 

“Alright,” Ben said weakly, letting himself fall into a chair that was facing the TV, thankful that all his colleagues had left the room, sensing his unwillingness to engage with them. 

“He’s going to be fine,” Tony said. 

“I-” Ben broke off before realising that he genuinely believed what he was about to say, and with his eyes glued to the screen, “I believe you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the relationship progresses dun dun dunnnnn 
> 
> you can find me on tumblr @[ephemeralstark](ephemeralstark.tumblr.com) and let me know what you think!! i love you guys!!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! You can find me on tumblr @[ephemeralstark](https://ephemeralstark.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Please drop a comment and let me know what you thought! They always make me smile so much!! :D


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